THE EARLY PAGANS GREETED THE "WINTER SOLSTICE" WITH OBSERVANCES THAT BEGAN AROUND THE DECEMBER 20TH. "FRAU PERCHTA" APPEARS WHEN THE EARTH IS AT HER TURNING POINT BETWEEN THE OLD AND NEW YEAR TO COME. SHE IS IS THE TERRIFYING HAG WHO REPRESENTS THE DYING YEAR AS WELL AS THE ENCHANTING ICE MAIDEN OF THE PROMISED NEW YEAR. SHE WAS, AT FIRST, A

BENEVOLENT NATURE SPIRIT WHO WAS ALSO KNOWN AS "THE LADY OF THE BEASTS, "AND, AS SUCH, SHE WAS A GUARDIAN OF THE ANIMALS AND NATURE. SHE IS BELIEVED TO BE "FRAU HOLLE'S" COUSIN AS THEY BOTH SHARE THE TITLE AND ROLE AS THE GUARDIAN OF THE BEASTS AND COME DURING THE TWELVE DAYS BETWEEN "CHRISTMAS" AND "EPIPHANY" WHEN THEY CHECK ON THE SPINNING.

HERS WAS THE ROLE OF "THE RESTORER "- THE "KEEPER OF BALANCE". SHE IS ALSO A SHAPE-SHIFTER, WHO CAN APPEAR AS BOTH MALE AND FEMALE, BETRAYING "HER" STATUS AS THE CRONE GODDESS CAPABLE OF TRANSFORMING INTO ANIMAL FORM. SHE IS THE TASK MISTRESS WHO OVERSAW THE REALMS OF WEAVING AND SPINNING WITHIN THE LIVES OF YOUNG GIRLS, ENSURING THAT THE REQUIRED AMOUNT OF FLAX AND WOOL WERE SPUN TO QUOTA BEFORE THE YEARS END. SHE WAS UNDERSTOOD TO BE THE "GREAT GRANDMOTHER" PROTECTRESS OF THE PEOPLE, THE WISE CRONE WHO WHO WANDERS ABOUT THE COUNTRYSIDE WITH HER ENTOURAGE KNOWN AS "THE PERCHTEN", BESTOWING HER BLESSINGS ON THOSE WHO HELP HER AND TAKING VENGEANCE ON WHOSE WHO DID NOT. IN THE ALPINE REGIONS OF AUSTRIA, THESE ANCIENT BELIEFS WERE THE BASIS FOR YOUNG MEN TO DRESS UP AS EVIL SPIRITS IN AN ATTEMPT TO BANISH THOSE THAT ACCOMPANY.

THE CULT OF "PERCHTA" WAS CONDEMNED IN BAVARIA IN 1648 BECAUSE IT REQUESTED ITS FOLLOWERS TO LEAVE FOOD AND DRINK FOR FRAU PERCHTA AND HER FOLLOWERS TO LEAVE FOOD AND DRINK IN EXCHANGE OF WEALTH AND ABUNDANCE, AND BECAUSE OF THE CHURCH'S ACTION, SHE WAS GIVEN A MORE MALEVOLENT CHARACTER IN LATER AGES. YET, EVEN TODAY, MANY ANCIENT TRADITIONS ARE PRESERVED AND STILL ALIVE IN THE REMOTE REGIONS OF THE ALPS.